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Waseem to fight for WBC silver title

By Alam Zeb Safi
May 10, 2016

KARACHI: Pakistan’s professional boxer Mohammad Waseem has a major opportunity ahead as his World Boxing Council (WBC) Asia Continental flyweight title bout has been changed to WBC silver title fight.

In the bout he is scheduled to face Jether Oliva of Philippines on July 17 in Singapore.

“It is with great enthusiasm that the WBC officially sanctioned a sensational fight for the WBC Silver Flyweight Championship. The green belt is the dream of every fighter and the WBC prides itself to support AK Promotions for this exciting venture to promote boxing in Singapore,” the WBC said in a letter which was shared by Waseem’s promoter Andy Kim with this correspondent on Monday.

“Silver title is recognised as similar as World Boxing Association’s (WBA) World Interim title. Amir Khan was WBC Silver champion before he lost to Canelo the other day. If Waseem wins this then he will be world ranked by WBC within rank No 1 to four. Huge opportunity for Waseem to fight for this title after only three professional bouts,” Andy Kim wrote to ‘The News’ on Monday.

Before the major battle against the experienced Oliva, Waseem is being sent to Las Vegas once again for training under Jeff Mayweather, the uncle of Floyd Mayweather Junior, the world’s greatest boxer of his time.

“Waseem will go to Jeff Mayweather again for his upcoming fight. He will go to Las Vegas at the end of May and will come to Singapore with Jeff before July 4 to adjust to time zone,” Kim said.

“Oliva’s record is good but he’s lost to ‘everyone with a good record’ and he has no power. He has to be a master at boxing to beat Waseem. Waseem is a tremendous fighter. The gym stopped when he boxed. Everyone liked to know who this guy is,” said Jeff, who trained Waseem in Las Vegas before his last fight against Indonesia’s John Bajawa which the Pakistani boxer won through knock-out recently in Korea.

Oliva, 29, has a sound record of 23 wins, 11 of them knock-outs, out of 30 pro bouts so far.

Waseem has played only three fights and won them all. Waseem, who switched over to pro boxing early last year, made a dream debut when he knocked out Korea’s Min Wook Lee in the ninth round to win the Korean Boxing Commission (KBC) title on October 4, 2015.

He knocked out Suparyanto Doglo of Indonesia in the third round in his second bout in Bangkok on December 5, 2015.

His last triumph came against Indonesia’s Bajawa whom he knocked out in Seoul the other month.

Waseem is currently training for his Singapore bout at the gymnasium in Japan owned by Kim. “I am training hard and Insha Allah will beat Oliva,” Waseem told this correspondent. “In Ramadan I will face some problem in training but I am confident I will overcome all the handicaps to prepare well for the fight,” he said.

Waseem is a rare fighter as he began his pro career directly with a ten-round fight. He opted to do so because he had the confidence as he had won several international medals, including an Asian Games bronze, during his amateur career which was hurt by lack of resources and politics within the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF).